New plans revealed for 200-home neighbourhood at controversial site

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A developer has revealed controversial plans to build 200 new homes on a greenfield site. Taylor Wimpey wants to create a ‘high-quality residential neighbourhood’ on land to the west of Smithy Bridge Road, in Littleborough.

The 35 acre plot is included as ‘Roch Valley’ in Greater Manchester’s contentious ‘Places for Everyone’ plan - and, while not in the green belt, it is classed as ‘protected open land'.

A previous application for 200 homes at the site, lodged in 2019, was met with more than 600 objections from locals. Now the housebuilder has returned with an ‘updated’ set of proposals, which it claims will bring ‘a number of local benefits for Rochdale residents, alongside the delivery of new high-quality homes’.

These are said to include employment opportunities, a major boost to the local economy and extra council tax revenue. READ MORE : Three new railway stations mooted for Rochdale in bid to boost public transport links A fresh planning application is expected to be submitted this summer.